What does it feel like, to be loved?
by Knisley24
Summary: Rachel Roth is living in the outskirts of Jump City with her abusive father, awaiting the day she'll turn 18 and be able to break away.Will a new neighbor help take away the pain?
1. New Neighbors

FLAMERS NOT ACCEPTED. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME!

HOLY COW. This is the absolute longest chapter i have ever submitted for a story. Please read and review. I will most likely be bending the laws of teen titans for this one... And if you have read some of my other stories, I would like to apologize, I know I haven't been updating constantly, but I am in the process of writing a bunch of really long chapters so that I can post them all at once. AU.

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Alone. Rachel sighed. Of all of the things she was feeling right now, loneliness was the strongest emotion. At the same time, however, she also felt a small pinch of happiness. But, as we all know, we cannot have happiness without pain.

Rachel was happy because, for once, her father was at work, and would be, until 4:00pm. She turned and glanced at the clock, wincing at the horrid pain that slashed at her well being. She rolled her black sleeve up and checked the bandage. It was leaking again. Dang. She ripped the blood stained gauze off of her albino skin and threw it into the trash at her feet, trying to think back to the night before. She had no memory of what had made her father do this, but it didn't matter, he needed no excuse to hurt her. Rachel looked down at her arm, already scarred with thin white slashing lines from previous times. She glanced at the puckering, angry red lines that now covered it, still seeping blood. Her father had not always been an abusive drunk, he had only changed after her mother, Arella had died when she was five. She sat there as the memories from the previous night crashed down on her like a tidal wave.

Rachel had gotten home late because she'd had to pick up her check from the Café. When she opened the door, her father had been home. Early. Her father only expected a few things from her, granted they were important. 1. The house was to be clean when he got home. No exceptions. 2. No noise. 3. Half of her money was to go to him when she got her pay check. The last was a silent expectation; she was to tell no one of the abuse. She wouldn't dream of it, no one would believe her. When she got home, the house was as it had been when she'd left for work that morning. She retrieved her paycheck and went to her room, immediately hiding more than half of it under her mattress as she always did. Just as she came out of her room and into the kitchen, her wrist was grabbed from behind. Trigon Roth slammed her arm, facing palm up, onto the counter. She would never forget the gleam of wickedness in his eyes as he brandished a butcher knife. She remembered the fear flooding her, making her struggle against his grip. Trigon had only laughed. He slowly shoved the tip into the flesh of her forearm, still laughing. "You know," he'd said, "I don't think you clean these well enough, there's always a little dried blood on them." He continued to drag it further and further down her arm until he came to her palm. "How about an initial?" He carved a bloody R into her palm and dropped the knife to the floor. Blood stained the linoleum. "Now GET TO WORK!" He yelled angrily, and exited to drink his life away, as he did every night.

Rachel shuddered and felt the searing pain in her arm as if it remembered everything clearly. Despite how often she had to deal with it, blood still made her nauseous. She looked at the clock. One hour, nine minutes of freedom left. She couldn't ignore the wetness on her arm. She got up and went to the bathroom. Crap, they were out of gauze. She grabbed the roll of toilet paper and commenced mummifying her arm, while trying not to breathe in through her nose. She concentrated on the cold tile floor beneath her feet. An angry ding reverberated throughout the house. She jumped. The blood on her arm still soaking through the thin material. Rachel waited for the person at the door to give up and leave, but the door bell continued to ring consistently. She sighed in defeat and walked to the door, reminding herself to be on her guard; her arm remained hidden behind her back. Grabbing the door, she swung it open to see a boy of about 18 or 19 standing patiently at the porch.

"Hello?" Rachel asked warily. The boy in front of her shifted his weight, as if nervous.

"Hi, guess I'm your new neighbor." He proffered his hand for her to shake. She stared at it, then took it languidly, with her unhurt arm. He stepped back and ran a hand through his reddish- orange spikes. She lifted her eyebrows, slightly annoyed.

"Wally." He said. She nodded her head.

"Rachel."

"Well, that's a first."

"What?" she asked skeptically.

"You didn't make fun of my name."

After a moment of awkward silence she looked at him, vexed. " Well? Are you done, cause I'm busy... so..." Rachel put her hand on the door knob, but Wally's eyes narrowed and he put a hand against the wood of the door. Rachel grimaced slightly, she could feel a small drop of blood run down the length of her arm. _Don't fall, please don't fall. _She prayed silently.

"Is something going on that I should know about?" His head was cocked to the side, ever so slightly. Rachel bit her lip nervously. _Crap, he's onto me. _That's when she made the mistake of taking a step back. He took a step towards her. A drop of blood escaped onto the wooden floor.

"Bye." She tried to push the door closed, but it wouldn't budge. She glared at Wally, who was staring at her, as if trying to place what was wrong.

"You're only using one arm." It was a statement, but also an unspoken question. His eyes seemed to be drawn to the drop of blood on the floor. So fast that she didn't realize what he was doing, he reached around her and yanked her arm out from behind her back. She suppressed a scream from pain. The wound had reopened, blood leaking out from the jagged lines on her forearm. This was bad. Wally's eyebrows shot halfway up his face.

"Care to explain?" He tapped his foot patiently. Rachel glowered at him.

"No, I don't, it's none of your business, and I'd be happy if you would leave, now-" He grabbed her uninjured arm and pulled her out the door.

"HEY!" She protested. She kicked and fought as he practically dragged her down the steps. She went boneless.

"Come. On. This doesn't. Have to be. Difficult. Unless you make. It difficult." He tried to drag her down the side walk, but she was like deadweight. He let go, and she sighed. Suddenly, the world tilted on it's axis as she was thrown over his shoulder.

"Put me DOWN!" She yelled. "HELP! THIS GUY'S TRYING TO KIDNAP- Mpphhhhhhhhhh!" His hand clamped over her mouth. She saw the ground change from concrete to wood. He set her down and closed the door. She scowled at him as she was ushered to a folding chair. She took a second to look around. Rotting walls, one bed, a slightly leaky roof, and two folding chairs. Very homey. He walked out of the room, and before she could jump up to make a run for it, he was standing in front of her, holding a roll of gauze.

"Give me your arm." It was an order. She reluctantly held it out to him, and winced as he commenced wrapping it.

"Now," he said as he finished, "what's going on?" She fished around in her brain for a logical explanation, and then looked at him seriously.

"I'm emo." His eyes were glued to her face. He shook his head sadly.

"Nice try, I had a friend that was emo, and I know that you're not. I just know."

She tried again. "I accidentally cut myself... doing the dishes." Wally grabbed her hand and held it up, even though it was wrapped in gauze, he had seen the mark.

"And, if it was an accident, it would make an R?" She gave him the silent treatment. He sighed and stood, walking to the folding chair that was across from hers, gracefully sinking into it.

"Fine, give me the silent treatment, but I'll let you know, I can sit very still, for very long." For a while they just stared at each other. Then, he made the mistake of relaxing, which she took advantage of. She bolted up, faster than he thought she was, and overturned his chair. She smiled at the look on his face. Total What-the-heck?. It was priceless. She rushed for the door, managing to get it open. Rachel was halfway through it when Wally tackled her like a linebacker. She _ ooffffffffed _ as her body came into contact with the floor. Rachel hooked her fingers around the top porch step as Wally grabbed her legs and tried to pull her inside.

Outside, Mrs. Lazowski, the tenant of the third and final house in the small group of three houses was watering her flowers. She was an old woman, from way back when WWII occurred. She had old-fashioned hearing aids in both of her ears, and they were turned down all of the way. She looked up to see Rachel, making a commotion on the steps next to her house.

"Hello dear!" She called. She saw a young man trying to pull her back inside the house. She shrugged. "Kids these days, always up to their games." She said to herself.

"Mrs. Lazowski, help!" Rachel panted. She felt like she was in a horror movie, being pulled into the darkest place. Wally's consistent pulling was starting to pay off, Rachel's grip was loosening.

"CRAP!" She yelled as her fingers broke free of their hold. She was dragged backwards. The sound of a deadbolt rang through the air. She was flipped over, and Wally straddled her, holding her hands down.

"DUDE? WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU? I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!" His leprechaun like hair was disheveled, and he looked like he was sweating. They sat there for a moment, panting. She couldn't help it when her mouth quirked up a little.

"What?" Wally demanded, slightly annoyed. Rachel suppressed a laugh. "What?" He thought he was missing something. "Did you jack my wallet or something?" He felt his pockets. Rachel exploded in laughter, her body shaking. She hadn't laughed in so long, she'd almost forgotten what the sensation felt like.

"Your face earlier. Priceless!" She laughed harder. It took awhile, but she finally stopped laughing. Though, she couldn't help but grin stupidly. She shoved his chest.

"Get off me."

"Not until you tell me what happened to you." She stared at him incredulously.

"Do _you_ tell complete strangers about things in _your_ life?" Rachel looked at him like he was crazy. He smiled.

"Sometimes. That depends on what's right, and what's wrong."

"There's nothing right about my life, it's all jacked up." It was barely audible, but he had caught it. His hand cupped the side of her face, and she closed her eyes.

"Sometimes, it doesn't seem like there's a solution for something, when, really, the answer is right in front of us." She sighed.

"Now, will you tell me?" Without her meaning it to, a small tear traced it's way down her cheek. His gaze softened, and he wiped it away with his thumb.

"What's wrong?" He asked, confused.

"It's just, you're the first person who's wanted to help me and-" Her eyes widened as fear consumed her.

"What is it?" Wally asked.

"What time is it?" Her voice quivered.

"Oh, I don't know, four maybe-" She sat up quickly, throwing him off of her.

"I have to go!" He grabbed her arm.

"Wait, when will I see you again?" He seemed to be concerned about something.

"I don't know. I'm sorry, but I have to go!" He could hear her as she ran out the door, " I am so screwed, so SCREWED!" she seemed to be laughing hysterically. He was confused, what was she so afraid of?

Rachel ran up the porch steps that led to her old, rickety house. "Please don't be home, please don't be home!" She prayed. But it was futile...

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So, whatcha think? See that little button at the bottom? Come on... you know you wanna press it!


	2. Home

I finally updated! HAHHAHAHAHHHA! Sorry, I was kind of sad because, well, four reviews, my story must suck. Oh well, I'll keep writing it anyway.

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As Rachel sprinted through the door, she saw her father's brief case sitting by the coat rack. A sense of foreboding filled her. She treaded quietly to the kitchen, but it didn't make a difference. Trigon Roth was facing the kitchen sink. He had gotten there only minutes before her. He turned toward her, his expression was one of fierce anger. "All I ask of you. That's all I ask, and you throw it back in my face? You need to be taught a lesson."

Wally West climbed the steps to the Roth's house in a daze. He jumped as he heard an angry shout emit from behind the closed wooden door. The house shook as there was a loud, wet smacking sound. He was about to knock on the door when everything went quiet. He could hear tears, muffled by the wood of the door, and someone laughing...a man.

"That ought to teach you, you worthless brat!" The deep voice matched that of the laughter from only moments before. Wally hesitated, then lifted his fist and knocked slowly on the door twice, afraid of what he might find. A drunken man that beats his wife? A tall, burly man answered the door. What Wally found, was much worse than he could've imagined. "Yes?" The man prodded.

Just beyond the man, he could see the main room of the house. Or, what was left of it. Any furniture that there might've been was smashed to pieces, along with all of the picture frames and the large mirror that had once hung on one of the walls. One of the faded blue walls was smashed. And, in front of the ruined wall was a crying, bloody Rachel Roth, who seemed to be just barely awake. She was lying on her back, blood seemed to be coming from too many places at once to tell the main source. She tried to lift her head, and her purple eyes met his blue ones. A look of shame crossed her face as she tried to scoot out of his line of vision. She moaned in pain. It was too late. Wally West knew enough. He saw her head hit the floor, and knew she was out. The man slammed the door in his face. He knew what he needed to, or just enough. Enough to know that what had happened was all his fault.

Rachel didn't remember much of what had happened the night before. When she woke up, she had a horrible, head- splitting migraine, and her body was covered in purple splotches, the same color as her eyes. Some of them were turning bluish-black. She turned and looked at the clock. 3:30 am. She groaned. Yipee, work. She got up, wondering how she ended up in her bed. She knew that there was no way that her father had carried her up the stairs to her room, he had went into his room after the "incident" as she called it, and drank his life away like he did every day. He was passed out cold in his room. She knew that she hadn't woken up to come up stairs, because, she, too, had blacked out. She showered gingerly, wondering. She scrubbed carefully at the dried blood that was all over on her body. All of her cuts burned when she scrubbed them with soap. After she was done getting ready, she still had a good ten minutes before she had to start work. She didn't want to stay and chance that her father might awaken from his drunken stupor, so she grabbed her bag and began the short four minute walk to Café Grande. Despite her soreness and foul mood, she brightened as she headed out the door. Though the sun was not yet out, it was starting to rise. She stopped halfway to town, leaning against an oak tree to watch as a new day broke. She smiled slightly at it's beauty, but shivered. It was a little chilly out, and she had forgotten to grab her jacket. She shivered again. This time, it wasn't from the cold. Someone was watching her. Wally West stepped in front of her, hands on his hips, striking the pose of a prissy mother. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He stepped forward, making a move before she could stop him. He grabbed her arm, and rolled the sleeve of the black shirt she wore up. Before she could object, he spoke. "Where did you get all of these scars?" He demanded.

"It's none of your business." She yanked her arm away from his grasp. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get to work." His cold blue eyes stared hers down.

"No, I won't excuse you. We need to talk. What time does your shift get over?"

"Five." She sighed in defeat.

No, his eyes...they weren't cold, they were warm, understanding...knowing. She stumbled backwards from him, eyes wide.

"You saw." Memories from the night before flooded in her mind. His gaze locking on hers as her father opened the door. She felt shame...so much shame...she was so worthless. He stepped forward and traced a blood streak above her eyebrow. He nodded solemnly.

"Mother. I'm so sorry mother. I ruin everything." She whispered as she turned and sprinted the rest of the way to work.

"Wait, Rachel! I just want to talk!" But she was already gone.

At four o' clock, Rachel slipped out of the Café quietly, and fearfully. She felt horrible about lying to Wally, but she needed to avoid him for a little while. She walked home cautiously, afraid of being caught. She noiselessly went around the back way and entered through the kitchen door. She heard no sound coming from the inside of the house, and hoped that her father was at work. It was, after all, a Thursday, tomorrow would be Friday. She saw a white piece of paper on the refrigerator, and grinned broadly as she read it. He wouldn't be back until Sunday night, probably late. She almost couldn't read his messy scrawl. She did a happy dance. Then the doorbell rang. She froze. _It's Wally. Crap, it's Wally..._

"Hey Rachel, I know that you're in there. Just answer the door. You can't avoid me forever." She shivered at the unspoken threat in the last sentence. She knew that she would just have to get through work tomorrow, Friday, and then she would be home free. Free until her father got home, that is. She went around and started to clean the house, as quietly as she could.

"Why am I hiding in my own house?" She became frustrated with herself. As she did the dishes she began to bang pots and pans together. She put the headphones to her iPod in her ears and began to sing while she did the dishes. Right in front of the sink was a large window with a spectacular view. Although her father was a jerk, he knew how to pick the right house. There was a small pond not too far from their house that she would go skating on in the winter. She smiled as she continued to do the dishes. A new song started. She closed her eyes.

**So say goodbye, 'cause you'll be leaving soon **

**I know it's hard, and I'll be missing you**

**I know it's time, to say goodbye**

**I know the road has worn you down**

**You never broke, you always held your ground**

**And now it's time, to say goodbye**

**And I know we'll meet again, but I wish it'd never end**

**You don't mean to make me cry, **

**But it's so hard to say goodbye**

**Say goodbye, Say goodbye**

**And though you're gone, I remember now**

**The time we shared, your words still ring out**

**You're never far, you're in my heart...**

She'd started crying without realizing it, and smiled at herself for being such a wuss. Then she looked out the window. And screamed.

"STALKER!" She closed the blinds on Wally West's smiling face, and ripped the ear buds out of her ears.

"Come on Rachel. I just want to talk to you." She didn't answer him. There was silence for a few moments.

"I like it when you smile." The words were barely audible, but she caught them. He had wanted her too. She went to open the blinds, but he was gone.

That night she went to bed early, a first for her. That was because she was going to wake up early the next day. The next morning, after she had gotten ready, she fished $12 out from her mattress, and walked into Jump City. She bought a dozen white roses, the roses that symbolize purity. She walked to the Jump Cemetery. Rachel studied the area around her, before bending down and setting the bouquet on top of a small, dark gray headstone.

**Arella Roth**

**Beloved Mother**

There were no dates on it. Nothing about being a wife. She cleaned it off, and bent down to kiss it. Today was the anniversary of her Mother's death. Tears streamed down her face. She said a silent prayer, and then slowly got up. A twig snapped. The blood froze in her veins. Was it a mugger? A robber? Or just someone else who'd come to see their loved one? There was a sudden breeze, blowing right past her. It wasn't harsh, yet it wasn't gentle. It's almost like the kind you get when someone runs by the table in your house, and scatters your papers everywhere. Something gentle ghosted across her face, wiping her tears away. She stiffened as she saw a flash of reddish yellow, and then, just as quickly as it had came, the breeze was gone. And with it, her tears. She walked the rest of the way to work, bewildered.

Rachel slipped out of Café Grande as unobtrusively as she could. She glanced around. The streets were empty. She began the short walk home, jumping every time she heard a car pass by. As she made it to the outskirts of Jump City, she thought she was in the clear. She had just made it onto the sidewalk where the only three houses outside of the city limit were, she became cautious. This would determine everything. She breathed a silent sigh of relief as she bent over to retrieve the key to the house from under the mat. Her shirt hiked up a little, the cold biting her skin. She shivered involuntarily, then frowned, the key was nowhere to be found. She heard someone tsk-tsking behind her. She reluctantly turned around. A smiling, red haired Wally West stood, back against the wall, twirling a key ring on his finger. Rachel had never felt the urge to punch someone's lights out so strongly before. She balled her fists.

"I had this feeling that you lied to me yesterday morning about what time you got off. So, after your dad left I went and got your keys. Turns out I was right." His eyes narrowed. "Come on." He gestured toward his house. She groaned.

After being seated safely inside, under the watchful eye of her warden, she zipped her lips. She stared off into space as he stood in front of her, tapping his hands against his legs.

"Well?" He asked. She didn't answer. After a few moments of silence, Rachel stood up.

"Look, I'm not going to say anything, so why don't you—" He strode forward and wrapped his arms around her, cutting her off. She stiffed.

"Look, I can't even begin to try to imagine what it's like for you, but that doesn't mean that you need to torture yourself by keeping your secrets to yourself forever. If you don't tell someone eventually, it will find it's own way out, and trust me, it's safer when you tell it. I understand if you don't trust me, but I just want to understand." It was her turn to surprise him. She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest.

"I want to trust you. I really do, but I haven't talked to another person my age that I've been able to trust for a long time." She mumbled.

"What about your friends?"

"I don't have any." He spun her around, and she sat down on his bed.

"I'm your friend. Tell me." And, for the first time, she did.

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The song is "Say Goodbye" By Sanctus Real. PLEASE REVIEW! Especially to those of you who favorited this story, please review. There is nothing that bugs me more than people who favorite stories and don't review.

Love

-Knisley24


	3. Friends

Two chapters for the same story in one day! That's a record for me! :] So far, this story has the longest chapters out of any of the stories I've written. That's because I mapped it out first. Enjoy!

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When Rachel was five, her mother, Arella, died. She wasn't sure how, her father had just come home and hugged her, saying that, "Mommy isn't with us anymore." After a few months, her father fell into a depression of sorts. He began to drink constantly. The abuse started one night when he was drunk. Rachel accidentally broke a bottle of her father's beer. He responded by picking her up by her hair, then flinging her into the wall. The abuse eventually escalated to where it happened whether he was drunk or not, both physical, and verbal usually happened once a day. Rachel explained that the only time she had ever gone for help, she had been laughed at. Everyone in Jump City thought Trigon Roth was a wonderful father, and the best attorney there was, although he was depressed at times. When her father found out that she had tried to talk to someone, he made up a story. He had said that she was "still grieving for her dead mother, and felt so alone that she needed attention, the bruises and cuts were merely from her clumsiness. She inherited it from her mother." And of course, everyone bought it. Her father, however, still couldn't risk that someone might believe her someday. So, they moved out of cozy Jump City, to outside the City's limits. The outer reaches of Jump City's city limits seemed desolate, almost a ghost town. With only a handful of buildings: the only three houses that were still standing, a very small grocery store, and, just inside the city, the place she worked: Café Grande. They moved there because there weren't many people. They moved there... so that no one would hear her scream. She got her job at Café Grande, working from 4:00am to 4:00pm. Then, lying awake in bed until 12:00 am, she would wait to see what her father had in store for her that night. Of the measly three dollar an hour salary, she hid more than half of it under her mattress, the other amount she had to fork over to her father to fund his alcoholism. She had graduated three months ago from a school in Jump City, and was waiting until she turned 18, in ten days time, so that she would be legally free to leave.

"Ever thought of just...running away?' Wally's curiosity got the better of him, he couldn't help but interrupt. Rachel walked over to his window, watching a car pass by every once in a while.

"Thought of it?" Rachel laughed sadly. "I used to dream about it. Where I would go, when I would leave, what I'd take..." She trailed off.

"So, why didn't you?"

She shrugged. "He has contacts. He would find me before I even left town... Everyone I knew already thought that it was all a cry for attention. That I was deranged. They all wondered what would be next. Suicide? Why give them the chance to prove it?" She closed her eyes, trying to fight back tears. "Even my own so called 'friends'." The words were choked, and came out in a whisper. Wally stood up, and walked over to where Rachel was staring out of the window. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"That was in the past. I'm here for you, as long as you need me." She was about a foot shorter than him, so when she looked up at him, it was almost comical. She smiled.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"That's coming from a stranger that I've known for what, four days?"

"Well, I don't have to be a stranger. What do you need to know before you can classify me in the friend category?" He grinned. She thought for a moment.

"How old are you?" She asked playfully.

"18, going to be 19 in a month and a half."

"How'd you buy this house if you're only 18?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"The people here don't ask for identification," He shrugged.

"What're your favorite colors?"

"Red and yellow." Rachel laughed. "What?" Wally asked.

"It's like a McDonald's happy meal." He laughed too.

"Why'd you move here? There are a bazillion other places you could live, but you chose to live here. Why?" Though her tried to mask it, his face grew dark. He turned around. Rachel reached up and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright," he couldn't help but pick up the tone of understanding in her voice, "you can tell me." He turned around and sighed.

"That's a story I'll have to save for another time." Though she was dying to know, she didn't pry. He would tell her in time. And that time would be sooner than she thought. It was later than she thought it was, and the sun was setting.

"I'd better go, I'm sure you need you're beauty sleep." She grinned at him. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're just jealous because you don't look this good." Rachel rolled her eyes at him and left the house, walking up her own steps. Her father was home.

"But, you're not supposed to be back until Sunday Night." She stammered.

"I forgot my brief case." He spat the words at her disgustedly. "But now that I have it, I can make good use of it."

Rachel woke up the next day, head once again throbbing. She kept an emergency bottle of Motrin under her mattress. She swallowed two dry. Her father was once again gone. She went to the bathroom and took a shower. Rubbing the fog off of the mirror, she took great care in using her long purple hair to cover the bruise that now covered the top of her forehead. She dressed and went downstairs. Unsure as to what to do, she found herself walking out the door and up the steps to Wally's house. He had the door open before she could knock.

"Hey." He said. She tried to suppress a laugh. His hair was out of wack and he looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep. He caught her looking at his 'do.

"Sorry about my appearance, but it appears that my shower decided to go on strike." Rachel's eyebrows went halfway up her forehead as she tried not to laugh. Wally just frowned.

"Do you want me to help you fix it? We might have spare parts at my house." Rachel offered. Wally shrugged. Half an hour later they were both soaked with rusty water and still had no idea how to fix it.

"Why don't you just take a shower at my house, I'll stay here and try to fix it."

"Are you sure?" He asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine. It's not like I'm gonna drown in your rusty water or anything." She urged him out the door. Five minutes later she found the problem, or problems. First of all, the drain was clogged with lots and lots of hair (the previous owner was either female, or a guy with really LONG hair), and it also needed a new shower head, which she had an extra of at her house. She walked over to her house and rummaged around in her upstairs bathroom until she found it. She ran back over and fixed it. The rust flakes and old water had dried to her skin, so she felt dirty. She went back to her house and hopped into the shower. She didn't realize she'd forgotten to grab her cloths until after she was done. She wrapped herself in a towel and, cautiously, peeked outside the door. She didn't hear a sound. From her room to the bathroom was about twenty feet. It didn't seem bad except that she would have to cross in front of the stairs. She closed the door, took two breaths, then opened it and ran. Ran right into the wall of muscle Wally West, that is. "HOLY CRAP!" She yelled. "Don't you ever say hi before you scare someone?"

"Sorry," he apologized, "I thought someone broke into your house or something."

"There's nothing of value to steal from here." His blue eyes flicked over her in amusement.

"There's you." Rachel noticed self consciously that she was still in only a towel.

"Excuse me." She said, and walked down the hall to her room. Her face grew warm with embarrassment. He hadn't really meant that...had he? She re-dressed and walked down to the kitchen. Wally seemed to be struggling with a pot of what looked like macaroni. He frowned.

"I honestly tried to make you something to eat. But, I'm not so sure you would want to." He walked over to the trash can and dumped the charred mass of noodles and cheese into the garbage can while Rachel covered her mouth in silent laughter.

"Maybe I can make it up to you though. How about I order a pizza and we rent an old, scary movie?"

"Our TV 'broke' last week." She pointed to a pile of glass fragments and chunks of metal and plastic.

"I got the TV hooked up at my house while you were in the shower."

"Sure," she considered it, "I don't see why not."

"Cool. As long as you're not a chicken." He grinned.

"Oh, I'd be more worried about myself if I were you. Leprechaun boy." Rachel giggled. She looked at the clock. 8:30. Where had the day gone?

"I'll go grab the pizza."

At 9:00, they were both at Wally's, sitting on the bed in his house, and eating God Father's pizza. They were watching the House of Wax, a stupid horror movie about a couple of brothers who made wax statues out of people. Rachel jumped a couple of times, causing Wally to laugh.

"You've seen this before, haven't you?" She accused. He grinned and said maybe. They were sitting on his bed, the only thing that had enough room for both of them, and even then, they were right next to each other. Rachel eventually drifted to sleep. Her head slid down onto his chest. Wally smiled and laid down, pulling Rachel with him.

"Rachel?" She could've been dead with all of the response he got from her. He leaned close and kissed her on the forehead. Her arms encircled his chest and back, her head lying softly on his chest. He put his arms around her, and eventually fell asleep with a soft smile on his face.

Rachel's eyes slid open. She felt a hand smooth the hair away from her face.

"Good morning sunshine, the earth says hello." She turned to see Wally's grinning face.

"What're you smiling about?" She croaked.

"Do you know what time it is? Noon." She raised her eyebrows.

"That's the longest I've ever slept before." She remarked. "And the first time I didn't have nightmares." He ran his thumb over the bruise on her forehead. His eyes narrowed in anger. He pushed the hair covering it back and sighed.

"I don't want to see you go through this for seven more days."

"I'll be fine. I should probably go and clean the house though." His forehead wrinkled.

"What time does he get home?"

"I don't know." They both sat there, neither one wanting to move and ruin the perfect moment.

"Rachel, there's something you need to know, I—" Rachel got up and rubbed her eyes. Wally stopped, the words were stuck in his throat. He was choking on nothing.

"Yes?" She inquired.

"Nothing." He stuck a hand on his forehead. "It was nothing."

"Sorry that I fell asleep in here." _No I'm not._ "You should've woke me up. I could've gone home."

"It was fine. Anytime you wanna crash here, I'd be more than happy to have you come over. It's better than living with that scumbag." Rachel grinned at him.

"What?"

"You've got some serious bed head dude." She laughed a little.

"Whatever." He raised an eyebrow playfully. "You're just trying to hide the fact that you think I look sexy." He pretended to lick his hand and slick hack his messy red 'do. She stopped laughing and just looked at him, lips quivering. She was just barely holding back the flood of laughter.

"You do think that, don't you?" He smiled broadly. Instead of answering, Rachel dissolved in peals of laughter. Soon she couldn't stop. Tears sprang to her eyes as she stood, clutching her side. She fell to the floor and started to roll around. Eventually, her laughter died down. She stretched herself out on the floor. Rachel opened her eyes just in time to feel him plop down on top of her. With one hand he pinned her hands above her head.

"Are you ticklish?" He smirked.

"That depends, why?" Fear showed in her eyes. He grinned wickedly and wiggled his fingers.

"Please don't." She said, frowning.

"Why not?"

"Because...I'll pee my pants." Her mouth quirked up.

"What'll you do for me if I don't" He bargained.

"Umm... anything."

"So, if I don't tickle you right now, then you'll give me anything I want?"

"Yes." He grinned at her like he'd won the lottery.

"You really shouldn't have said that. Loopholes my friend, loopholes." He smirked as her forehead wrinkled in confusion. Then she realized she'd been swindled.

"I take that—" He began his attack.

"No...please...stop..." She giggled profusely. Soon she had tears in her eyes. She begged and begged but he was relentless. "Have...mercy...on...my...soul..."She laughed. "I'll do...I'll do anything." She spluttered.

"You already promised me that."

"I'll give you a hug." He considered it.

"Okay." He stopped. She laid there, trying to catch her breath.

"I want my hug." He pouted. She sat up, pretending to give him a hug, then pushed him over and sat on top of him. He just shrugged and raised his arms.

"GO ahead," He challenged. "I'm not ticklish." It was her turn to pout. He pushed her onto her hack and leaned over until he was inches from her face. Their eyes locked together. She tried to pull away from his gaze, but it was too strong. She was like a moth attracted to light.

"You know how earlier you said you'd give me anything?" He whispered. He was so close now that their breath mixed. Her eyes widened. "Yes." She answered. He could feel her heart beating faster.

"Well, I want... you." He leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her face to the side. His lips planted softly on her cheek. On the inside, her mind succumbed to him, whil on the outside, her body took action. She pushed him off of her and sat up.

"I have to leave." She said.

"But, Rachel—"

"I need to be alone for a little while." She left, not looking back.

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Please review!

Love

-Knisley24


	4. Scars Make Us Who We Are

Sorry that this chapter isn't very long, but it's the best I can do right now! Please PLEASE PLEASE review, especially if you favorited this story, it makes me very angry when I see that someone favorited it, and didn't review...You know who you are...GRRRR. I hope to update again tomorrow, but we'll have to wait and see...

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When she got back home and started cleaning it was 5:00pm. Though it was late, she managed to get everything looking spick and span. As 9:30 rolled around, her father came in. He looked worse than usual. He quietly went to take a shower in the downstairs bathroom. Time slowed down, her blood turned to ice as she realized that she hadn't cleaned it...and Wally'd used it the day before. She heard a huff, and her father became visible in her line of sight as he exited his bathroom. Trigon Roth radiated anger, while clutching a towel.

"Who used my bathroom?" He screeched in fury. Rachel swallowed her stomach. She knew what she had to do, and there was no turning back.

"I...did." She covered for Wally. Trigon paused for a minute, rage seeming to disappear.

"Oh, in that case..." He turned to leave the room. Rachel, who hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath, sighed in relief. Big Mistake. Her father whirled around and was on her in an instant. Within milliseconds he had somehow grabbed a chair. The world seemed to rain down on her as the chair hit her so hard that it broke into five pieces. Everything went black, though she was still conscious, she could do nothing to stop the blows that rained down upon her. She was lying on the cold linoleum floor seconds later. Before she could scream her father had grabbed a glass vase and smashed her over the head with it. The pain was unbearable. Trigon Roth laughed.

"Yes, that's it. Go to sleep, and this time...don't wake up." Screams of rage replaced his deep voice. "I LOST MY JOB! YOU HEAR THAT YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF—" The last thing she felt was something large, cold, and metal slamming her in the forehead.

When Rachel became conscious, the house was dark. She knew that she was only three feet from the back door. She spat out some blood, surprised that she hadn't choked on it and died. Trying to stand up, she slipped in a puddle of water. It took her seconds to realize that what she was lying in wasn't a puddle of water; it was a puddle of blood. She crawled toward the kitchen counter, and pulled herself, slowly, up. Rachel groped the counter. She wasn't sure where she would go. There was only one place she could think of, and she didn't want to think of him. She opened the door with effort. The night air made her shiver uncontrollably. As she gripped the banister to the stairs of his house, she knew that couldn't continue on. Nevertheless, her body tried to carry her upward. She began to see stars, a sign that she would soon black out. Her vision danced as she stumbled up the steps. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that he had the door open in a split second.

"Rachel, what happened?" She tripped and he caught her. She had just enough time to say, "He lost his job," before her mind pulled her back into the dark.

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Don't forget to review.

Peace out

-Knisley24


	5. Everyone Has Secrets

Long chapter! :] Please review! Thanks for the other reviews too! Love you guys!

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"Lights out." The chair slammed into her. Rachel's eyes popped open as she shot upward, hyperventilating. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't lying on the cold kitchen floor. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, realizing she was dripping with sweat. When she opened them she realized that Wally West was sitting in a folding chair three feet in front of the bed, staring at her. Her breathing slowed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. It seemed to break his gaze on her.

"For what?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Everything." She turned her head to the side so that he couldn't see the tears that now made their way down her pale face. His hands cupped her face and turned it so that it was facing him.

"Rachel, you are the best thing that's happened to me in the past eighteen years. I'm glad to be your friend." They sat there for a few minutes, until Wally broke the silence. "You should go back to sleep." He gently pushed her back down onto the mattress.

"I can't. Too many nightmares." Her eyes fluttered closed as he smoothed her hair back.

"Try." He pleaded with her. "You need to heal." She smiled sadly at him.

"No amount of sleep will ever heal the scars I have. I think you need to sleep more than me, you look tired." Tired didn't even begin to cover it. Wally's eyes had large bags under them, and his hair was tousled, as if he'd just had a bad dream too. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No. Even if you hadn't come, I would've just sat there all night staring at the ceiling anyways." Rachel grabbed his arm, pulling him over to sit beside her.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, concerned.

"Everything." He smiled sadly. He put one arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. She leaned her head against his it, feeling his heartbeat.

"I feel like I've known you forever, not just five days." She tilted her head up to look at him. "You know that you can tell me anything, right?" He sighed and leaned his head against hers.

"I know. It's not that I don't want to. It's just that...I'm worried about how you'll react."

"You never know unless you try." She had seen enough to know. To know that Wally West was afraid of his past. "Trust me." He sighed and held her closer.

To begin his tale, he had to ask a simple question.

"Have you ever heard of Kid Flash?" Rachel's forehead wrinkled in thought.

"That kid that can run faster than the speed of sound?" Wally cracked a smile.

"What?"

"You said can."

"Well I highly doubt he's dead, although I heard that he just disappeared." Her expression changed to one of recognition. "I know he's alive."

"Really?" Wally grinned.

"Yes."

"How?"

"Because I saw him. Well, I didn't see him, I felt him... It's complicated." She looked at his smiling face. "You don't believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you. I know he's alive too." She frowned at him, sure that he was just messing with her.

"How?"

"Because...he's sitting right next to you." Rachel's eyes widened at him, and she shook her head at him.

"No, no way." She said. "You're messing with me." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Prove it." He unwrapped his arm from her and stood up.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that." He said sadly. She blinked, and he hadn't moved. Or at least, she hadn't seen him move. In his hand was a bag. "Croissant?" He said with a French accent.

"No way. You didn't... France?"

"You don't believe me?" He raised an eyebrow. Before she could react, he had scooped her up bridal style and sped out of the room. They were going so fast that she didn't feel like she was moving, but she could tell they were by the scenery, which was a blur of colors. When they finally stopped, he set her down.

"I don't feel so good." She clutched her head, dizzily. She leaned against him for support. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Sorry," He apologized with a smile on his face, "that happened to me the first time too." When she finally opened her eyes, she gasped.

"It's so...Beautiful." The skyline was backlit with the morning sunrise, which was perfectly clear from the top of the Eiffel tower.

"You like it? I come here every morning. It reminds me of someone I know." He smiled slightly, his gaze never tearing from her face.

"So this is all. This is all that you've been so stressed, so worried about telling anyone?"

"No. This is only part of the story." He walked over and picked her up as he had before. "Do you want me to take you back? You'll be able to leave then...if you want to." She looked at him squarely.

"I'm not going anywhere." It was then that Rachel Roth realized that what she said was true, and that she liked being in Wally's arms. She liked it a little too much. "Wait, so that was you in the cemetery that day?"

"I only followed you because I was curious as to why you were up even earlier than usual." He quickly defended himself.

"Did you pick me up and carry me into my room that night?" He nodded at her solemnly.

"I wasn't going to leave you on the floor!" She studied him carefully, waiting for him to continue onto his story. He set her down.

"When I was young, I was one of those cocky, arrogant boys with rich parents who thought that the world revolved around me. I never thought of people outside of my bubble. My parents didn't care about me, they would ignore me. If I wanted something, they'd give me money. They were too busy with their lab work. I never paid attention to what they were doing. Until I became jealous."

"What do you mean?"

"Random people started to visit. All the time. I got angry. I thought, why should they be paying more attention to all of these random strangers, and not even thinking about their own son? So, I talked to them about it. And it turns out that they were hiring those people..." Wally's face dropped into his hands. Rachel held her breath. "They were becoming lab rats. My parents were trying to crack the sound barrier."

"But that was already done, many years ago."

"Not with an airplane. They wanted to see if they could create the perfect serum. One that would make a man faster than the speed of sound. It made sense, if they did that, they would make millions. No gas, no pollution, no cars, no airplanes, yada yada. But, the people that they were experimenting on got more than they bargained for. They were running out of time, money, and victims. That's when they remembered me. They told me that I would be more popular than the President of the United States, they told me that now was the time for me to step up, make people remember my name for generations to come. So, of course, idiot me thought it was a great idea. Besides, what could go wrong, they thought that they had finally perfected it. All it needed was a test run. Too bad I didn't look at all of the rejects."

"Rejects?"

"That's what they called the experiments gone wrong. And by experiments gone wrong, I mean every single person that they paid to experiment on." He shuddered involuntarily. "There were so many things that could go wrong. Some of them vibrated every second that they lived, and they didn't live long considering that their molecules transferred through the floor, through the ground, and whatever lies beyond the ground. Some of them ran so fast that they couldn't see, and they got ran over. Me, I was fine for a while. Until I realized that I was just a stupid lab rat, and that was all I'd ever be to them. They treated me like one too. Brought me to all of their science conventions and meetings. Then I started to get the vibrations. It only happens when I feel emotions too strongly. At first I was angry, and I tried to keep them under wraps, but my parents found out. They told me I was just another stupid reject. They were disappointed in me, they thought I was doing it on purpose."

"What did you do?" Rachel whispered.

"What did I do?" Wally laughed. "I did what a lot of teenagers do these days. I ran away from my problems." He sounded disgusted with himself. "I had nowhere to go. Eventually, a family took me in. They barely had enough to take care of themselves though. I decided to pay my parents house a visit. Took a bunch of money, grabbed whatever I could of mine, and made a break for it. I've been moving around for the past five years. Once I finally started looking around, I realized that there is a lot more to this world than me. So I started to help people."

"What about the costume?" He laughed a little at that.

"I made that for Halloween one year. Someone was about to fall off of a building, so I saved them. When they asked who I was, I told them "Kid Flash". The name and the costume stuck."

"That's it?"

"Pretty much." She studied his face. There was something else there. Something he wasn't telling her.

"What is it?" Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? That's bull crap and you know it." She hugged him. "Just tell me."

"I don't want to scare you."

"Tell me." She ordered. "I told you everything, didn't I?" He sighed.

"For the last three months, I've picked up a newspaper in the morning to read the obituaries. And in every issue, there are one or two of the rejects' names in it."

"So?" She let go of him and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Rachel," He tried to swallow over the lump in his throat, "_I'm_ a reject." Her eyes widened in horror.

"NO! NO! I won't let them!" She yelled. "You're Kid Flash, you can out run them!"

"Not forever. They will eventually find me. Somehow."

"Not when I'm with you." Rachel's determination made Wally smile.

"Come on, let's get you home."

By the time they got to Wally's house, which was in less than two seconds, it was 3:58 am.

"CRAP!" Rachel smacked herself on the forehead. "It's Monday. I'm gonna be late!" Wally grinned at her.

"I'll take care of it, you go take a shower."

"Are you sure? They're a tough crowd."

"It'll be fine." She began walking toward the front door when Wally's hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"What in the world are you doing?"

"Going to take a shower?"

"There's a shower right there."

"But, I'm sure my dad's still sleeping, I'll be—'

"No. I don't want to take that chance. Go take a shower." She ran over and gave him a hug, surprising him.

"Thanks." He smiled at her.

"No problem." And, like his name, he was gone in a flash. Rachel climbed into his now fixed shower, turned the water on full blast, and let it wash her worries away. She relaxed, and realized how tired she was. Almost falling asleep in the shower, she jarred herself awake as another nightmare poisoned her thoughts. She got out as fast as she could. That was when she realized she didn't have any cloths...or a towel. A string of swear words escaped her lips. There was a knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" Wally sounded like he was trying to suppress laughter.

"HECK NO!" The door started to open anyways. She hopped back in the shower, wrapping the curtain around her. His eyes were closed as he entered, a smile plastered to his face. He held a towel in his hands.

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"No!" She reached out to grab the towel, but he yanked his hand back, causing her to trip over the small ledge that held the water in the tub, and fall forward, dragging the curtain with her as she slammed into Wally. The momentum carried them to the floor, where she landed atop him. His eyes shot open and they stared at each other a moment, neither one breathing. Then Wally started laughing.

"That is SO not funny jerk!"

"You should've seen the look on your face!" She tried hard, but in the end she couldn't help but laugh with him. The laughter died down eventually, and they sat there for a minute.

"You don't have to go in until five." He said, finally. Slowly, they both stood up. _Tell her _he told himself. His heart ached painfully, longing to tell her what he should've long ago. Rachel's eyes widened as his body tensed, teeth locking together, he took a sharp breath. He gripped the wood of the door frame. "You...should...leave." He forced out painfully, sweat dripping down his face.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked desperately as Wally doubled over in pain.

"Stay...back." He was hyperventilating, his breathing almost as fast as his body was beginning to shake. As suddenly as it had started it stopped, and he sighed in relief. Then his face crumpled in pain. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" His agony could be heard across the world. He fell to his knees. Rachel stood frozen in shock, not knowing what to do. His body was a blur, moving so fast that she could barely see him. She grabbed what she thought was his arm as he began to sink through the floor. It was no use, he would sink anywhere she pulled him. He began to crackle with electricity. In a last attempt, Rachel yanked him so hard that she fell over...and he landed on top of her. He was no longer sinking, and the vibrations were gradually slowing. He rested his forehead against hers, both of their chests heaving from the craziness. Rachel was staring at him, his eyes were closed. His breathing slowed.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Am I okay? AM I OKAY?" Rachel's face was one of disbelief. "YOU JUST ABOUT DIED AND NOW YOU'RE ASKING IF I'M ALRIGHT?" She said shakily. He was silent for a moment.

"I'm surprised you didn't run."

"Run? Why the heck would I just run and leave you here alone? You could've died!" She was crying now. He rolled them over and wrapped his arms around her.

"I probably should've looked to see if this place had a basement huh." He looked at her and smiled. "I brought you some clothes. I don't really think you want to wear a blue shower curtain all day. Although, I wouldn't mind." He grinned. She blushed and squirmed off of him, making sure she was holding onto the curtain that was wrapped around her. He pointed toward his bed, and sped out of the room. She locked the door behind him, even though she knew it wouldn't make a difference, he could vibrate through the door if he wanted to. After she had changed into the black jeans, deep blue shirt and long blue cloak he had brought her she opened the door. It looked like he had fallen asleep waiting.

"Wally. WALLY!" She shook him.

"Huh...wha..." He opened his eyes.

"Why don't you go to bed."

"Yes mother." He said sarcastically. Rachel left for work, thinking about how she would never have a son.

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SO... the other day I opened my email after I posted the fourth chapter...and I saw six reviews! My happy glow is showing :] Thanks guys, that made my sucky day much MUCH better!

3

-Knisley24


	6. HELP!

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been answering your questions, but I'm hoping the next two chapters will...and maybe spice things up? :] Love you guys, keep reviewing!

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As Rachel left Café Grande at 5:00, she shivered. It had gotten dark and cold out early. Lines of kids from Jump streamed past her, all donned in costumes and carrying sacks and buckets. Rachel smiled. She knew that today was Halloween. She herself was wearing a costume, only because her boss, Beth, made her. It was a 'Sexy Cop' ensemble that included a one piece skirt/shirt that zipped up in the back, the shirt also having a zipper down the front so that she could control how much cleavage showed. It was completed with fishnets, black heels, a cop hat, and a gun holster. She rounded the next bend, remembering what Halloween was like when her mom was alive. Arella used to always make her costumes for her. She became aware of loud footsteps behind her. No problem, they'll probably just pass by. As the sun set, the streetlights turned on, and less and less kids passed her. Whoever was behind her had no intention of passing her. She decided to take a different route. She turned left as she came to her favorite bookstore, and began taking alley ways. She knew it was risky, but she wanted to know if this person was tailing her. She took two more turns, and a feeling of foreboding filled her stomach as she realized that the person was following her, and she had no way to call for help. She froze at the next turn. Brick wall. Stupid horror movies. She turned back around, only to be met by a dark figure.

"Hey girl, you're all alone." He flicked out a pocket knife. "Looks like you're gonna be my girl for the next hour and a half." She backed up as he took a step toward her, her back hitting the wall.

"S-Stay back." He laughed at her coldly, he was now directly in front of her. He was underestimating her. He reached out and tried to grab at her chest.

"You little bit—" The breath was knocked out of him as she kneed him in the balls. She took advantage of his vulnerable position to poke both of his eyes with his fingers so that he fell to the ground in pain. She kicked him hard in the side and tried to jump over him, but he grabbed her ankle. She fell to the dirt, realizing that if she did live, she would never be able to identify her attacker. He was dressed as a ninja; face completely concealed from her view. Her blood turned to ice as she felt the tip of the knife bite into her thigh. She tried to scream, but his hand covered her mouth tightly. Suddenly, something darker than the night crawled toward him, and blasted him from her. Rachel looked at her hands in disbelief. She stood back up, limping forward. As the man stood back up, a pair of green gloved hands appeared around his neck, and he went limp.

"Are you okay?" The green hands' were connected to a young man, who looked at her, concerned. He looked like he was dressed for Halloween.

"Yes." She swallowed.

"I'm not going to hurt you. My name's Robin." He reassured her, sticking out his hand.

"Rachel." She accepted it and shook. "Thanks."

"Do you need help getting home?" She felt unsafe, but didn't want to ask for help. She shook her head at him. Suddenly, something rang. "Hello? Robin here...Yes...Warehouse thirteen?...On my way Batman." He gave her one last look. "If you ever need help, here's my card." He handed her a small card, with a phone number and name printed on it.

"Thank you again." She said.

"Don't mention it." He smiled and disappeared. She continued walking home, jumping anytime a car passed. She could hear the laughter fading as she entered the outskirts of Jump City. She took the key out from under the mat, and shoved it into the lock.

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Short, I know, but the next one is longer...and interesting...:]


	7. Love and Other Things That Make Us Drunk

**CHAPTER OF AWESOMENESS. :]** Hope you guys like it!

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As she entered the main room of her house, she noticed that her father's light was on. Bad sign. She turned the corner past the kitchen and peered into her father's bedroom. There were beer bottles strewn across the wooden floor. Trigon was sitting on the bed, patiently waiting.

"You. Little. SON OF A GUN!" He yelled as she stepped into his line of sight.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"I know that you've been hiding it from me!" Rachel still couldn't comprehend what he was saying. He held up a handful of cash. She immediately recognized it as one of the many stacks she'd had hidden under her mattress. A swear word escaped her lips.

"That's not—" She didn't have time to make an excuse, as he came running at her like a linebacker, grabbed her around the neck, and tightened his grip. Soon she was seeing stars. She had to fight back. Rachel kicked him where it counts, and he staggered back. She took advantage of his position, and raced to her room. Rachel reached inside her closet, where she kept and emergency backpack, in case something had happened. She grabbed it, and ran back down stairs to the foyer. She had to make a decision, grab the money first, or run? She made the mistake of going back. After all, she'd worked all of her life for that, and that was for her college. Rachel cautiously entered her father's room. Trigon was nowhere to be found. The stacks of money she'd cleverly hidden underneath her mattress were in piles on his desk. She unzipped her backpack and began shoveling it in. As soon as all of the bills were in her bag, she ran pell-mell out the door of his room, trying to reach the door that would lead to her freedom. She was bustin' outta this joint, once and for all. But a crazed psychopath stood waiting at the entrance.

"I knew that this would happen one day Rachel," he cocked his head to the side, a grin plastered on his face. The knife in his hand seemed to gleam with anticipation.

"I knew that you would try to leave. Like mother, like daughter. And, just like your mom, I can't have you telling the world about me now, can I?" Rachel's blood turned to ice.

"Y-You killed Arella." It all made sense now. She felt like she was living in a dead person's body, all she felt was cold.

"Awww, is someone gonna cwy?" Her father laughed bitterly. Rachel's hands were balled into fists. Fury consumed her.

"DIE IN HELL!" She ran at him, white hot fury blazing in her eyes. She punched him, and dodged the knife in his hand. She was lucky that it only, just barely, grazed her cheek. The second time she wasn't so fortunate. Her scream pierced the night as the knife found purchase in the same spot as the other man's had earlier, making the wound deeper. It was Halloween, if someone called the police, they would think it was a gag. She slammed her fist into his face. Suddenly, Trigon Roth slammed into the wall. A very infuriated Wally West stood in front of her.

"YOU. STAY. THE HELL. AWAY. FROM HER." His tone was venomous; he was breathing angrily, nostrils flared at the man.

"Oh, it's you, boy." He said with disgust. Then smiled. "Your father says hello." Wally froze.

"You know my father." It was confirmed by a smug silence from Trigon. "Tell him he can go to Hell with you. Or, who knows, maybe I'll meet him there after I kill you and I can tell him myself!" He gathered Rachel in his arms. "The cops are here." Trigon smiled at him.

"You can't prove anything." The flashing lights outside the house became closer. Wally grinned maliciously.

"Or can I?" His slender hand now held a tape recorder. Trigon's eyes widened.

"You didn't." A police door slammed.

"I did." He looked toward the door as it opened. "Officer, this is the man." The police officer looked at him skeptically. Then he noticed Rachel.

"Are you okay honey? You're bleeding." In the end, Trigon tried to run, but was tased. As the officer, whose name was Michael, handcuffed the attorney, Wally walked over to him, Rachel sat on the stairs, staring into space. "Do you know if she has a place to live?" Michael whispered to Wally.

"She can stay with me." He said.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't dream of letting her go."

"It's going to be hard locking him up, he is one of Jump's best attorneys." Wally handed him the tape recorder.

"This is all that you'll need. I'd like to add that—" Rachel appeared beside him.

"He should be tried for man slaughter, he killed my mom. And child abuse." With that, she picked up her back pack and walked over to the officer. "Where am I going to be sent?"

"For tonight, you're going to stay with Wally here, and then we'll see what happens." The officer left, Trigon Roth with him. As soon as he left, Rachel fell to pieces. Wally held her in his arms, both of them still standing in the now empty house. She cried, and he let her.

"He killed my mom. He freaking killed her. I should've known." She sobbed. Wally hugged her tighter.

"You couldn't do anything about it, it wasn't your fault." They sat there for a little while, in the silence. "I should take care of that." His hand slid to her thigh, which was still seeping blood. He picked her and her backpack up and sped over to his house. "Nice costume, by the way." She blushed.

"Yours is nice too." She said sarcastically. He wasn't even wearing a shirt, so it took a lot of effort not to stare...He seemed to work out quite a bit. She sighed. "I'll sleep on the floor if I have to. You didn't have to do this; I could've stayed at the police station."

"And then you would've been sent to a foster home." He turned his electric blue eyes on her, and motioned to one of the folding chairs. This was getting to be a bad habit. "I won't allow that to happen, not when you only have five days left until you turn eighteen." He bent down and examined her leg. "I'm going to have to take these off." He motioned to the fishnets. They were the kind that went all the way to the top of your hips. She bent over and hooked her fingers in them, but he stopped her hand. "There's too much blood around the wound," He gave her a serious look, "I don't want you to drag it, I'll do it." She turned pale white as his hands slid up her skirt. "Don't worry," He smiled, "I'll behave myself." He frowned in concentration as he carefully slipped them down. "The wound is further up than I thought," She had grimaced slightly. When he finally worked them down to her ankles, his face contorted.

"What?" She asked, almost afraid.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to...take your skirt off." She looked at him in horror.

"But this is one piece!"

"You didn't bring any other clothes with you?" He asked incredulously.

"No, I didn't have time!" He sighed, and went over to one of his drawers. Tossing her a baggy shirt and pair of sweat pants, he turned around.

"Put the shirt on." She reluctantly slid the shirt over her costume, but didn't take it off.

"I'm not taking anymore crap from you." She muttered at him. He huffed.

"Fine." He pushed the already short skirt up to attend to her thigh. She felt awkward with him seeing half of her in underwear only. She was silent as he worked on her wound. As soon as he was done, she pulled her skirt back down as quick as possible and stood up, shouldering her back pack.

"What are you doing?" Wally asked. Rachel looked at him sadly, and handed him his shirt back.

"I can't keep going on like this. You do everything for me. You give and I don't give back. I have nothing to give back, unless you want money—"

"Stop this, this isn't about money—"

"I just can't tear your life away from you; you have your own to live, not take care of me twenty-four-seven." She turned towards the front door and opened it a little. "I don't want you to do this because you have to." A hand placed itself on the door above her head, gently but forcefully pushing it closed.

"I'm not doing it because I have to Rachel. I'm doing it because I want to." He was half a foot taller than her, so when she turned around, she had to look up at him.

"What?" He leaned closer, pressing his lips to her ear.

"You heard me." She suppressed a shiver, and stepped back, her back hitting the door.

"What are you—" She cut off as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm not staying."

"Yes you are. You're staying for however long you need to."

"No." She whispered.

"Yes."

"Just for tonight."

"No."

"It's just for tonight, and you can't change my mind."

"What if I can?" He smiled, leaning down to look into her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.

"You can't." Her voice quivered faintly. He almost didn't hear it. Almost. His breath fanned across her face.

"You still can't?" She tried to sound strong, eyes widening in fear. He leaned forward, agonizingly slow, and closed the distance between them. Her eyes fluttered closed as he pressed his lips to hers. She almost melted back into the wall. His hands tangled in her hair, she tried to resist. He tilted his head to the side, his tongue sliding into her mouth, sparks exploding behind her closed eyelids. Her arms, the traitors, snaked themselves around him, and into his hair. Soon, she was kissing him back. He pulled away and she gasped for breath.

"Did I change your mind yet?" He panted, smiling.

"No?" She asked dazed. Before she could make sense of anything, he leaned back in and kissed her again. Wally broke off, and she relaxed against the door, mind reeling. He slowly pressed his lips along her jaw line, and worked his way down her neck. She moaned. He was seducing her, and she was falling for him. Hard. He reconnected himself with her mouth, kissing her with hot passion. He ran his hands down her arms, and she felt like she was on fire. It felt good.

"Have I changed your mind yet?" She muttered something intelligent like, "Mmmmmhpphhh?" He kissed down her neck , down, until his mouth reached the zipper of her costume. Her eyes widened as it slowly slipped down. He pressed her even harder against the door, and she wrapped her legs around him. In the blink of an eye they were on the bed, he was towering over her, straddling her. His mouth made its way down, her shirt now open, and she wasn't wearing a bra. She moaned and grabbed his head. He kissed down her sternum. It took her a minute to form a coherent sentence.

"Wait, you shouldn't do this just to get me to stay...I—"

"Would you shut up already?" Wally smiled. "Why can't you pay attention to anything? I love you Rachel. I've loved you since the day I met you." Rachel grabbed his head, and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Rachel pulled Wally's shirt off, and flipped over, running her hands along his chest. His hands ran up her thighs, and up the costume to the zipper on her back, which was down and off in seconds. For a moment, both of them looked at each other, aware of what they were about to get into. Each other.

"You know," Wally said the next morning, "you're beautiful." Her naked body was pressed up against his, her back pressed against his chest.

"You are too." He snorted at her.

"I love you." She turned her head to stare at him, look him in the eyes. "I mean it."

"I love you too." They both fell asleep as the sun rose.

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**Review!**

**Awesomeness!**

**Review!**

**Love you guys,**

**- Knisley24**


	8. Annoying Much? :D

Sorry I haven't updated guys! Thanks for the reviews! I hope this will be alright for now. :D

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Rachel woke up the next morning to a pounding on the door. Or was that her head?

"Ugghhhhhhhh. Five more minutes." She distantly heard the sound of soft laughter. She drug her eyelids open. "Go AWAY!" She rolled over, or TRIED to roll over. She hit a mass of muscle. "What the—" She sat there, confused for a moment, then remembered. She remembered _everything_. The sun backlit Wally, so he looked like a fallen angel, looming over her. He was propped up on his elbow, grinning at her. "Oh...did we really...?"

"Yes. Yes we did." He said, rather bluntly. She swallowed.

"Well then..." Awkward. He continued grinning and rolled his eyes at her. "What?" She asked.

"You're such a dork. It's not your fault. It wasn't planned. It just...happened."

"I know...I was just hoping to wait until marriage."

"I understand." They sat there quietly for a few minutes, watching the dust motes filter through the late afternoon's light. She wrapped her arms around him.

"That doesn't mean I don't love you." His eyes widened, as did hers. She was surprised that she had said that. He rubbed her head.

"I love you too."

"Good, now let me sleep." He laughed.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Nope. Don't care."

"Five."

"In the morning."

"No." She turned and looked at him, eyebrows halfway up her face.

"Nuuhuuuuh."

"Yes huh." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Whatever. I'm gonna take a shower." She stood up, blanket wrapped around her body. His arm encircled her waist. She turned to see him grinning mischievously. "What?"

"Want some help with that?" Her mouth dropped open.

"You dirty...person!" He laughed as she chucked a pillow at his head.

"Rule number one: never let go of your weapon." She backed up against the wall, waiting for him to assault her with two pillows. She cringed, eyes squeezed shut. Instead, she heard a soft whisper as both of the pillows hit the floor, and his lips descended on hers. After a few minutes, they both went for breath. She smiled.

"I'm never going to be able to take a shower with you around. You're too much of a distraction."

"In a good way or a bad way?" He asked jokingly.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" She laughed.

"Don't make me tickle you."

"Oh, because there's something that you want that you haven't already gotten from me!" Rachel poked him in the ribs. His pearly whites gleamed wickedly at her.

"Maybe there is."

"Liar. I'm so fired from my job as of today."

"What?"

"Well, you know, I only missed AN ENTIRE DAY OF WORK." She sagged against the wall.

"So, you've only missed two days then, and I'm sure they'd understand."

"That reminds me. How'd you get them to let me have an hour off last time? Those ladies are strict when it comes to work." He started laughing. "What's up with you today?"

"You wanna know how I got them..." He was still laughing. "To give you...," Still laughing, "An hour off?" He leaned close, as if it was a secret. "I told them...that...you ate...Mexican...the other night." Rachel sat there for a minute, trying to grasp what he was saying. Her mouth opened in a silent O of horror.

"You didn't." He was laughing so hard that it hurt.

"OW," He grabbed his side, still laughing.

"It's gonna hurt a lot more in a minute if what you said was true!" He was laughing so hard that it was as if his lungs would pop out of his body at any minute. "That's probably why they were all looking at me so weird whenever I went to the restroom." This only made him laugh harder. She gave him a death glare. "I'm SO GONNA KILL YOU WALLY WEST!" He held up a hand. Magically, his laughter died down.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. You should've seen the look on your face. Priceless. Anyways, that's not what I told them. I told Betty—"

"Belinda."

"Right. I told Belinda that you were 'delayed' in getting ready. She just smiled. The only thing I don't get is when she winked at me."

"That's even worse!" Rachel cried. "She probably thinks that we're sleeping together!"

"So? A lot of teenagers do that nowadays." He wrapped his arms around her. "Relax. The only difference is that I've got the most beautiful girl in the world in my arms. That's all that matters to me right now." Rachel was silent for a moment.

"Do you think we'll last?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that this will just be one of those relationships that teens get into, and then, next thing you know, poof, we're both heading into different directions?" He gripped her elbows.

"No. I'll always be here for you." She squinted at him.

"Prove it."

"I will. Today." And he knew just what to do. She looked at him, puzzled. "You'll see. Now go get ready for work." She silently obliged.

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Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

REVIEW!

Love,

-Knisley24


	9. Proving It

Been awhile since I uploaded huh?...Sorry, I was at the swamp camp...(only the people who went or worked there would understand what I'm talking about.) And the computer was broken. Thank you for waiting, please review!

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Rachel sat at the large, granite counter top, her fingers drumming rhythmically against it, a large, fake smile plastered to her face as an old woman walked up to the counter.

"Hello," She said casually, "welcome to Café Grande. What can I get for you today?" By the looks of her, the woman seemed to be about 85- 100 range. She sure took her time with coffee too. By the time the lady had finally ordered, the new employee, Kori, had already taken 4 drive thru orders and placed them. Rachel looked at the girl out of the corner of her eye. She had long red hair, green eyes, and was very tan. "Thank you. Come again." Rachel sighed as the old woman left. The Café was practically empty. Rachel was bored out of her mind. The Café had been this way all day. The only thing that was keeping her sane was...well...Wally. She couldn't get him off her mind. Someone leaned against the counter next to Rachel. She turned her head slightly. It was Kori.

"So," The new employee said conversationally, "who is he?" Rachel's expression turned to one of confusion.

"Who's who?"

"You know...The guy that you're thinking about?"

"How'd you know that I was thinking about a guy?" This new Kori girl was really starting to freak Rachel out.

"Oh, come on! All I had to do was take one look at your face." Rachel raised an eyebrow. "You had this dreamy expression on your face..." Kori insisted. "Besides," She continued, "There has to be a reason that that really cute guy came in here a couple of days ago and told Belinda that you were going to be 'delayed' in getting in." Kori moved her eyebrows up and down on the word delayed. Rachel elbowed the girl in the side.

"Shut up. We weren't doing anything." Kori's eyebrows shot halfway up her face.

"So you admit that you guys are seeing each other?" Rachel smacked her hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Fine. Yes. Why does it matter that much to you?" Kori turned silent then, and bit her lip. "What's wrong? You can tell me anything. Trust me; I've been in a situation before. So, if you wanna talk about something, I'm right here."

"Well...It's just..." She sighed. "I don't have and have never had a boyfriend before okay?" Rachel laughed.

"That's it? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't even have known that Wally liked me if..." She trailed off, smiling. "Anyways, I'm sure the right guy will come along eventually, don't worry yourself." She earned a smile from Kori.

"DING DING!" The silver bell above the door rang angrily as someone opened the door. Rachel didn't take her eyes off of Kori, who was still telling a joke. She saw Kori look at the customer out of the corner of her eye and stop, mid-sentence. Rachel turned to see a young man who was maybe around 17 with black, gel-spiked hair and a dark pair of sunglasses waltz up to the counter. She grinned silently to herself.

"I'm going to take my break right now, okay?" She said to the red haired girl. Kori seemed to be at a loss for words. Kori turned and looked at her with a _please-don't-leave-me-here-with-this-cute-guy_ expression. Rachel just wiggled her fingers at the girl and grinned as she opened the back door. Rachel could faintly hear Kori say, "Hi, welcome to Café Grande, how may I help you?" As she stepped down onto the concrete porch that sat behind the Café to take a break. When she came back in fifteen minutes later, Kori and the young man were still at the counter, and she was laughing. As Rachel went over to the coffee machine, she heard Kori yell her name. She turned and walked over toward the two conversing teens.

"Rachel, this is Richard, Richard, this is my friend Rachel." Rachel was a little surprised at the last part, but didn't mind the title. She looked at Richard, and cocked her head to the side. Richard looked...familiar.

"Do I...Know you from somewhere?" She asked suspiciously.

"Not that I know of. Why?" Richard asked politely.

"Never mind. You just seemed...vaguely familiar." He flashed her a set of pearly whites.

"As soon as you have a day off, call me. Maybe we can go to a movie or something. Thanks for the coffee." He said to Kori, then grabbed a latte and left the small coffee shop. As soon as he was out of sight, Kori leaned against the counter and sighed.

"You are EVIL! Leaving me here all alone with him! I didn't know what to say!"

"Oh, really? Cause when I got in here you guys seemed right at home... What happened?"

Rachel listened intently as the redhead launched into how he had started flirting with her the minute Rachel had left the store, how his lame attempts had made her laugh...and finally how he had given her his phone number. After she had finished, Kori grabbed some coffee and left. Seeing as how Rachel missed almost an entire day of work, she would be closing up shop today at midnight. At 11:58, as Rachel's back was turned and she was cleaning the espresso machine, she heard the faintest _ding_, as if someone had opened the door slightly. She ignored it as she heard the wind pick up outside, thinking that it had been the reason, and continued softly singing _Show Me What I've Got_. She lifted the cup that had the remnants of coffee from the machine up. Something touched her arm. The words died in her throat as a hand slid along her arm and wrapped itself around her waist. She turned her head and closed her eyes as a head buried itself in her neck.

"What are you doing here? I'm about to close up." She turned around. "And how'd you get in here?"

"You really need to ask how I got in here?" He grinned at her. "I like it when you sing VOTA." She blushed. "Besides, I have something I need to show you. Are you done closing up?" Rachel glanced at the handmade record clock that hung on the wall. 12:01.

"Yep. I just have to lock the door." They walked outside, and Rachel turned the deadbolt. "Now what is it that you have to—" The breath was knocked out of her as he slipped his arms underneath her easily, and began to run. "You really should warn me when you're gonna do that." He chuckled.

"I can't. It's so fun to watch your expression." Rachel rolled her eyes at him as he slowed down. They were once again on top of the Eiffel tower. But, this time, they were completely alone. Rachel glanced around herself, and was amazed to see that the entire space that they were standing on was covered in red rose petals and small, flickering candles. There were white petals drifting down from above on the breeze, making seem as if it were snowing. Rachel stood, confused, as Wally knelt down on one knee in front of her.

"What are you...?" Rachel trailed off as he took her hand. In his other hand he held a velvet box.

"Rachel...Okay, first of all, if I screw this up, I'm sorry. I suck at stuff like this. Anyways...Rachel...Ever since I met you...I've felt...Different...And...Gosh this sucks. I love you Rachel. There's no other way for me to say it. I love you and I want you to be mine. I know that you're only 18, and that'll only happen in a few days, but..." He looked straight into her eyes. Blue and violet. "Will you marry me?" Rachel's mouth dropped down so far that she was afraid that she would swallow a large bee. Wally stared at her silently for a moment. "Rachel?" Then suddenly her arms were around him, and she was crying.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes!" Wally's arms tightened around her as he smiled.

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I am nowhere close to finishing. I've got something diabolical in store...You just wait and see. HAHAHA!

Please Review!

Love-

Knisley24


	10. Gone

I apologize for the cheesiness of the other chapter, I happened to be watching the Proposal while watching it...and I was laughing my butt off. Yes, it is true, I do like _some _romantic comedies. Only some. Anyways, hope you like this chapter, the story's almost over, only a handful of chapters left.

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Wally groaned and rolled over as light filtered in from the window, signaling that it was five o'clock in the morning. Rachel kissed him on the head as she silently got up to take a shower. When she came back in the room ten minutes later, fully dressed, with wet, purple hair plastered to her neck, he was sitting up in bed. He seemed to be staring at his hands, but when Rachel walked a little closer, there was something shiny in his palm: a cell phone. Then she noticed the grim look on his face, his eyes still not leaving the small device. She knelt down in front of him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Wally? Are you alright?" Wally's eyes slowly drew themselves upwards and connected with hers, and for a moment, she thought she saw fear reflected back towards her, then sadness. But when she blinked, they were blank. Before she could open her mouth to say something again, he was across the room, stuffing a backpack with clothes, leaving only air beneath her hand.

"I'm fine," He said without looking at her.

"What's going on?" Rachel was beginning to think that he was hiding something from her, and it was ticking her off. She reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him from packing. "Tell me now." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Nothing's—"

"Don't pull that 'nothing's wrong' crap with me! I know something's up. Don't you trust me?" He looked at her again, conflicted.

"I do trust you. That's the problem. Because I know that if I tell you, you'll try to stop me." He shook his head, and then continued. "My father called me. He said he wants to make amends. He wants me to meet him somewhere." He paused so that she could digest this. "I'm going to be gone for a few days. I'll try to be back in time for your birthday." Before she could argue, he picked her up, and sped through the door, the backpack slung over his shoulder. He set her down outside of the Café.

"But—" His lips crashed to hers, and he pulled away too soon.

"I love you Rachel, don't you ever forget that. I'll be back soon." He kissed her one more time to silence any protests. Soon, there was only air in her arms as he disappeared. She solemnly opened the door and walked into work.

From the top of the state office building one street away, Wally watched as Rachel's face fell, and she walked into work.

"It's for the best." He tried to reassure himself as he flipped open his phone and clicked on 'messages'.

**We know where you live. **

**We know about her. **

**Meet us at the Jump Cemetery at 6:30am. **

**Come alone or the girl dies. **

"Goodbye, Rachel."

"Hey, Rachel!" Kori shouted as soon as the purple haired teen had entered the room.

"Hi." Rachel put on her green apron and walked towards the granite counter.

"What's wrong?" Kori walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Nothing."

"OH MY FREAKIN' GOSH!" Kori squealed.

"What?" Rachel jumped, "Was it a rat?"

"YOU ARE ENGAGED AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?"

"Oh." Rachel lifted her hand and examined the thin, gleaming band that wrapped around her slim finger. "That." They both looked up as a man that looked about in his thirties entered the room. He looked at both of the girls, but then his gaze shifted to Rachel. He leaned against the counter.

"Hey there." She mentally rolled her eyes at the creep and put both of her hands on the counter where he could see them. His eyes drifted down to the band on her finger. He blinked and stepped back. Rachel smiled.

"Hi, welcome to Café Grande, how may I help you?"

"I'll take a—"

"Kori," She interrupted while putting a hand over her mouth, "I need you to take this." Without letting the other teen answer, she streaked past her into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Kori opened the door to the women's bathroom and stopped at the third stall. Rachel was bent over the toilet, the contents of her stomach sitting inside the gleaming porcelain bowl. Kori looked down at her, concerned.

"Why didn't you tell me that you didn't feel well?"

"I feel fine."

"Right." Kori rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"No, really. I was absolutely fine, but I suddenly felt like I was gonna barf. Now that I did...I feel perfectly fine." Kori scrunched her eyebrows together in concentration.

"Can I go on my break?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes?" Rachel half asked half answered slowly. Kori was out the door before Rachel could count to one. Rachel pulled herself up from the tile and washed her mouth out before she went back to her shift. Fifteen minutes and eight customers later Kori waltzed back through the door carrying a small white box.

"You'd better use one after all of the trouble I went through to get them. The lady at the check-out counter gave me a dirty look when I handed them to her." Rachel took the box from the other girl's outstretched hand.

"Oh no. No no no no no no no no no NO!" Rachel shoved the box back towards the other girl. "No WAY!" The only person that occupied the shop was a college-age guy who was typing on his laptop. He looked up at the two, one eyebrow halfway up his forehead.

"Please?" Kori begged. "That's probably why you're sick!"

"No. There's no way that I'm... there's just no way."

"If you're so sure, then prove it." Kori shoved the box back at Rachel. Rachel bit her lip as her hand wrapped around the cardboard. "It'll only take fifteen minutes."

"Fine." Rachel grumbled as she stormed off towards the bathroom. She left the little white stick on the counter and used her key to lock the door to the bathroom. Kori watched the clock intently, waiting until the exact minute.

"Rachel." Kori looked at her when it had been fifteen minutes to the dot.

"Maybe I'll just let it set for a few more minutes. Just to make sure."

"You're afraid I'm right, aren't you?"

"No." Rachel stormed off towards the bathroom and relocked the door. She stood in front of the sink, fingers drumming against the hard white surface. She couldn't help that she was debating with herself. She reached towards the small white stick, but retracted her hand. "If I don't look, I'll never know," She persuaded. Rachel reluctantly picked it up and uncapped it. Kori began to pound on the door.

"Rachel! What's going on? Open the door!" It slipped through Rachel's hands and hit the floor. Rachel couldn't hear Kori, even as her key slid into the lock on the door. The red headed female sidled up next to her. "Rachel?"

"Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh."

"What's wrong?" Kori grabbed Rachel by the shoulders and turned her. Rachel's eyes were wide. "Maybe it's wrong?" Kori said. Rachel shook her head leaning against the wall and sliding down it, her face in her hands. She glanced at the white stick that was one foot in front of her. The screen was green.

"I'm pregnant. And the bad part? Wally isn't here right now."

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Don't forget to review!

Love,

-Knisley24


	11. Father

**Hey guys, sorry it's been awhile! Thank you to those of you who are still reading my pathetic attempt at a story! I hope you like this chapter, I'm hoping to post the last few this week! **

**Feedback is very much appreciated! **

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Wally stood in the Cemetery's dark embrace, just beneath a group of tall pine trees. He flipped his phone open once again. 6:31 AM. They were late. All of his senses were on high alert as he once again took in his surroundings: The old woman with white hair and a large, ugly purse still sat on the only bench in the place, about ten yards away, feeding the pigeons. He turned his head to the left, watching a short balding man jog by. The pay phone that was located just inside the bus stop, a block away. Wait—There was something off about the picture in Wally's mind. Was it the man, who had jogged by more than three times now? No...

The pay phone was ringing.

It wouldn't have seemed odd if there was someone over there, but _no one was there_. Wally slowly began to walk towards it, albeit cautiously. He stopped once he had crossed the road, opened the glass door, and then took one fleeting glance around before reaching out and grasping the black plastic in his hand.

"Hello?" Static greeted him. Wally's eyes narrowed.

"You will listen carefully. Walk down main, until you come to the old comics building. Once there, you will walk around the back to the dark alley." The voice was rough, gravelly, and definitely male.

"And if I don't?" Wally knew that he was on dangerous ground here, but he had to know if they really knew Rachel. Another car darted past, the traffic in Jump already backed up this early in the morning.

"Rachel dies." Wally felt his throat tighten, as well as his grip.

"What do you want with me? What are you planning?" But all he got was static. The line was dead. He had no choice now but to do as he was told.

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Rachel gathered her wits and pulled herself up off of the cold tile flooring in the Women's bathroom at the Café.

"Are you going to be—" Kori looked overly concerned, which really confused Rachel. Maybe it was her lack of friends over the years, but she had only known Kori for less than a week, and the girl was already acting sisterly.

"I'll be fine. He said he'd be back before my birthday. That's in two days. I'll be alright for two days." Rachel began to make her way out of the bathroom, back to her shift. "Why don't you leave early tomorrow and go out with this 'Richard' guy. He seems nice."

"Are you sure?" Kori's face had brightened considerably at the words 'leave early'. Rachel couldn't blame her. It's not like making coffee was hard work, and they did get paid well, but it wasn't the most fun in the world. Heck, they didn't even get that many customers.

"Yep." The two teens went on making coffee for the rest of the day, and Rachel tried her best not to worry.

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Wally crossed into the alleyway behind 'Comics RULE!' Jump's old comics store, his senses once again on high alert as he scanned the perimeter, something he had learned to do often as a titan. There were two brick walls, one the comics store's and the other the adjoining building's. One of the two exits led back out onto Main Street, the other leading to 5th avenue. Suddenly, there was a _CRASH!_ Off to his left, a trash can lid clattered to the concrete. Wally started, but then realized that it was only a homeless cat scrounging for food, and relaxed. That was his mistake.

Wally's eyes saw only darkness as a black bag was pulled down over his face from behind. Before he could vibrate out of his captor's hold, something sharp pierced the flesh of his arm. As whatever it was ran through his veins, he could feel his strength being sapped away. The man behind him let go, and the fastest boy alive fell to his knees, unable to hold his own weight. The black bag was pulled off of his head, and even with his vision blurring, he recognized the man standing before him. Despite the years it had been since Wally had seen him, the Reddish-grey hair, widow's peak, and old, weathered, evil blue eyes were unmistakable.

"Father." He spat.

"Hello Wallace." Wally could feel the ground give out under him, his body no longer supported him. He had no choice then but to succumb to the darkness's cool embrace. He could still hear their triumphant laughter echoing in his mind as he let go.

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**Love ya! Don't forget to review!**

**-Knisley24**


	12. NO!

**Only a few chapters left! Love you guys! Thanks for the reviews I got!**

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"Good morning Sunshine." Kori grinned at the Purple haired girl walking in. "Thanks for letting me get off early yesterday to see Dick. Happy Birthday!" Two days had flown by faster than Rachel could blink. She was eighteen today. But that was not what was on her mind.

"You haven't seen Wally have you?" She was beginning to worry. Two days ago, he had been acting very strange, and that could only make Rachel wonder if he really_ was_ coming back. What if he had been lying? Had his father tracked him down, leaving him to run so that she wouldn't get mixed in the crossfire?

"Hellllloooooo?" Kori snapped her fingers in front of Rachel's eyes, bringing her out of her unpleasant reverie. "Anybody home?" Rachel blinked and shrugged. "No. I haven't seen Wally. Why?"

"He said he was going to try to be back by today, but I haven't heard from him."

"I'm sure he's just late." Rachel knew better. And Wally had all of the time in the world...No way would he be late today.

"Uuuggghhhh." The first thing Wally noticed when he came to was the crick in his neck, telling him he'd been out for awhile. When he opened his eyes, there was something large, and metal in front of his face. He was in a steel cage. And he couldn't move a muscle.

"Hello Wallace." Wally blinked, willing the blurriness in his eyes to go away. When it did, he immediately regretted it. The room around him was empty, entirely, except for a single, flat screen tv, and a man.

Orangish-red hair coated his circular head, a pointy nose and grey eyes sporting a pair of glasses stared down at Wally, almost disgustedly. He was somewhat tall, his gangly arms hanging down beside his stark white lab coat.

Wally's lip curled back in a feral snarl, the only thing he could move. "What have you done to me?" The older man chuckled.

"I have inoculated you with a newly created serum. We needed someone to try it on." Wally watched as the man's face twisted into a sick sneer. "Oh, but it couldn't be just anyone. It had to be someone as fast as you."

"What did I ever do to you?" The anger was gone from Wally's voice, he sounded almost resigned.

"You know how much I like things to be perfect." Pause. "Once I made that last serum and injected you with it, you were like a single blemish on an otherwise clean face. We began to track the others down, silencing them so that we could continue our research, but you ran away. It took a lot of research money and a very good attorney to find you."

"Trigon Roth." Wally spat disgustedly, causing the other man to smile maliciously.

"So you know him? It seems that you also know his daughter." The color drained from the young speedster's face. The older man pulled a small device from his pocket and turned the TV on. "I want you to feel the pain I've felt the past few years, hunting you down. I want to see it in your eyes. You should not have been born, Wallace West. I am not proud to call you my son."

"But it was YOUR OWN FAULT!" He slammed against the bars, now free of whatever had been injected into his bloodstream.

"We have not tested the serum yet, so there are two different possibilities. You will both lose your abilities and die a slow and painful death, or it will increase your speed. Our goal, of course, was the first of the two options." His teeth gleamed in the dim light of the grey room. "But, you thought you knew the meaning of the word pain? You were wrong." The TV screen was filled with static, until it focused, leaving him with the view of a single figure.

"_NO."_ Wally's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

"Hey, can I borrow your car?"

"What for?" The red head continued wiping down the counters, closing time looming in front of the two like a shadow.

"I want to go stop at the store and grab a couple of things." Rachel was still sitting on the marble countertop, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Yeah, sure, but I want you to drop in off at my house, in one piece, when you're done." Kori handed the keys to her small, silver Audi, that was parked in the employee parking lot out back, to Rachel.

"Geesh, if you have that kind of money, why are you working here?" Rachel laughed, tugging off her black coffee making apron and hanging it on the wall. Kori rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I don't have that kind of money. It was willed to me when my parents died." The purple haired girl immediately regretted saying anything. "Don't feel bad, they've been gone since I was a baby. I barely knew them." Kori swiveled and smiled at Rachel. "Hey, maybe after you're done at the store we could hang out at my place. Celebrate the big 1-8?" The other girl smiled and nodded once.

"I'd better hurry it up then, it's already almost midnight." Rachel twirled the key ring on her finger, letting the fake smile fall away from her face as she trudged out of the shop's back door. She still didn't know where Wally was, and it was making her nervous. What if something bad had happened to him? She stepped out onto the walkway and yanked open the clean, practically new, car's door, settling inside the nice interior. Putting the keys into the ignition, she turned them, letting the engine hum to life. It had been a while since she had driven a car, at least two years.

Pulling out onto the main road, she began to weave her way through the heavy traffic, stopping at a red light.

"Oh, yes Wally. You see, I know how much you've grown. I know that you can take much physical pain, and come out just fine. You have learned to control your body's horrendous vibrations, whether conscious of it or not. But, there is one type of pain you have yet to experience." As the fastest boy alive watched the screen, the figure became more focused. Inside of a silver Audi, she was waiting at a red light.

"Why do you hate me so much? I never did anything. Only what you asked me to do. She didn't do _anything_! Leave her out of this!"

"Yes, she did Wally. In fact, she played a very big part in all of this. And you? You disobeyed me."

"Because you were going to KILL me!" Wally shook his head, eyes still glued to the screen. "You sicken me. You used so many people, and then you killed them all without any remorse. There's a spot in hell waiting for you. I'll make sure of it." His father's eyes flashed with anger, and his finger stabbed down on the button of the small remote.

Rachel watched her rearview mirror in confusion as two large, Semi trucks barreled towards her. The light had not changed yet, and a feeling of foreboding ran through her body. She placed a hand on her stomach, looking forward at all of the people waiting out in the other lanes, then up, one last time at the security camera before closing her eyes and mouthing one word:

Goodbye.

Wally's eyes widened in sheer terror as he watched the black and white screen as two Semi-trucks collided with a small, silver Audi, one coming from each direction. His heart squeezed painfully as he realized he was mistaken. It was not in black and white.

_CRUNCH! _

Flames sprouted from the car, and, through the now missing windshield, he could just barely make out purple mixed with red. No. She had to be alive. She had to be.

The serum decided to take that moment to take effect. Pain arced through the emotionally wrecked teen, causing him to grip his hair. It felt as if every vein in his body were expanding, and exploding over and over again. His father chuckled as he watched tears stream down the teen's face. Though, the serum was not the cause.

"Slow and painful it is then." He turned around, the door slamming shut behind him. Wally's hands tightened into fists as he leaned his head against the cold floor.

"_Rachel. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." _His knuckles turned white as he stood up, slowly, using every ounce of strength he had.

_CRRAAAACKKK!_

Suddenly, pain seared through his body, melting his insides, as if he had been struck by a bolt of wayward lightning. Then he was shaking, uncontrollably. He felt something bonding to his body, like glue finally holding the pieces of him together. Standing up, he vibrated out of the steel bars, and moved quickly towards the door.

"What are you—" His father was cut off as, moving faster than lightning itself, Wally grabbed his arm. When he blinked again, he was locked in the very cage his son had been in, moments ago.

"I guess you need to perfect that serum, now don't you? I'm sure that the guards will let you..._In jail._" With speed that would make his uncle proud, Wally locked all of the scientists in the metal prison before they could blink. One last determined look and Wally took off out of the door.

"_I'm coming for you Rachel. Don't die on me."_

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**Please don't kill me now. I beg of you. Just review! :D**

**Love**

**-Knisley24**


	13. Goodbye

**Hello, my friends. Or at least I hope you're my friends. I'm really glad that you don't know where I live, because you'd probably kill me. This is the last chapter! Yay! It's been fun! Thanks for all of the reviews! Please review again and let me know how you feel!**

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The world stood at a standstill for a few moments. Not a single car moved. That's when the true chaos began.

Rachel couldn't understand anything, her mind had gone blank as soon as the cars hit her, and she had been wrapped in a cocoon of darkness. Though, the darkness was not from the pain. She couldn't explain it. It was as if it had come from within her. The paramedics had come, and she could feel herself being moved out and onto the stretcher.

"Ma'am?" There was a fuzziness to her brain, and she could feel death's cool embrace, waiting...Just waiting for her. "Ma'am? I need you to show me that you're still able to hear me. Wiggle your fingers." There was a pause as Rachel willed some part of herself to move. She heard a sigh of relief as the chaos around her resumed. Medics began yelling back and forth, and all she could feel was pain...Pain...So much pain. The world was blurring, spinning uncontrollably before her eyes. She caught snippets of their yelling as she faded in and out of consciousness. The heart monitor that they had attached to her began to plummet, then spike, following a continuous pattern, never stabilizing.

"_Pregnant...Didn't survive." _She stopped breathing. No. The baby couldn't be dead. _"Fiancé on the way?...Dead?" _That was when Rachel Roth lost the will to live. The words continued to float through her head as death invited her into his domain. The baby was dead. She hadn't heard from Wally in days. Wally was dead. That was the only explanation. The heart monitor's line continued to plummet, until it did the same thing Rachel's heart and mind did:

Hit rock bottom.

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Wally stopped as he entered the mass chaos that was the crash site. An ambulance had just headed down the road past him, and he figured that she was alright. He began running towards St. Joseph's, the only hospital in Jump, arriving many minutes before the ambulance.

Everything was going to be fine, he continued to tell himself. Everything.

That was when the ambulance arrived.

The door was open, the medics with grim expressions on their faces. And then he knew. He just knew. He didn't hear what they were saying. It was as if they were on mute, their mouths still moving, but no sound coming out. As he stared past the open back doors of the ambulance, his mind went blank. Someone put a hand on his shoulder. She was gone.

They had dropped her off at a morgue only minutes after the accident. She had been long dead. That's when Wally West, one of the toughest people on the planet, placed his head in his hands and began to sob.

The funeral was two days later, and he'd decided to only see the body once. After being reassured that there was absolutely nothing that he could've done to help her, he had somewhat come to terms with her death. And, upon further conversation with Rachel's co-worker, he found that she'd been pregnant.

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Sunlight streamed through Jump City's Cemetery, throwing shadows over the headstones, the trees dancing in the cold, bitter breeze. Cold and bitter, like that of the onlooker's hearts. As the ceremony concluded, the people in the crowd left, leaving a single figure alone. Bending down in front of a pair of headstones, he placed a single red rose atop the newest one, which was engraved with two names. The boy sat there for a moment.

"I'm sorry Rachel." Wally West stood up, a boy, and began to leave.

He left the cemetery as a man.

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**Did I say that this was the last chapter? Because I lied...:D Review!**

**-Knisley24**


	14. Who Are You?

**_This_ is the last chapter. I swear. I hope you like it! Just kidding, you won't! Please review anyways!**

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A purple haired woman opened her eyes, cringing as light filtered in her vision. Squinting, she made out an IV attached to her arm, along with the smell of antiseptic.

"Thank goodness, you're awake. Can you tell me who you are?" Blinking, her lilac iris's took in a figure wearing a yellow and black cape, green tights, and a red shirt, a mask hiding his features from her.

"Who are you?" She croaked. He smiled at her.

"I'm Robin. You're in Titans tower. We stopped the paramedics on the way to the hospital, and told them we were taking you to the morgue. You have very special abilities." Pause. "Who are you?" Her face contorted with fear, and she looked him straight in the eye.

"I don't know."

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**You hate me. That's alright. If this story gets enough reviews, I have a sequal planned out. If not...You'll be left wondering what the hell actually happened. Thanks again for stickin' by me!**

**-Knisley24**


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